An escaped black cow that has been on the loose in Phoenix South Mountain Park for more than a month continues to elude authorities.
The cow, which sports a red ear tag, was reported missing from a small farm on the north side of the mountain near 29th Avenue and Dobbins Road on June 29, said Laura Oxley, Arizona Department of Agriculture spokeswoman.
"It's an area with a lot of small farms," she said.
The cow has since been sighted several times in disparate places, such as on 40th Street north of Chandler Boulevard and at Eighth Street and Desert Foothills Parkway, Oxley said.
"It's been seen in a few places. We've had reports of it," she said, adding that the cow, which was raised on an Indian reservation, could still be surviving in the park.
"I would say the summer storms have made a difference," Oxley said. "It was kind of used to fending for itself."
Lt. Mark Tallman, Phoenix Police Department spokesman, said he's not so sure. Police haven't received any reports of the cow in a while, and there's no telling what's happened to it, he said.
"He even might have been taken down by some coyotes," Tallman said.
Oxley said that if anyone sees the cow, they should call the agriculture department at (602) 542-0799.
"It's a full grown heifer. She does have horns," Oxley said. "We don't want anyone to go try and capture it. It's a cow, not a cat."
Contact Writer: (480) 898-7914 or acohn@ahwatukee.com
